


sick of losing soulmates

by Impalallama8432



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-03-07 00:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13422501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impalallama8432/pseuds/Impalallama8432
Summary: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.Or...Tony Stark falls in love easily, and he hates it.





	1. Love Is Patient

_Tony loved many people. He was always described as an 'Iron Man', even before his start as a superhero. But the description was wrong, Tony fell in love easy and hard. He loved his friends dearly and would do anything for them. Howard always said sentiment was a chemical defect found on the losing side, Tony only understood that after years of betrayal and realising; for all the love Tony Stark put out into the world, someone else would manage to balance it out with hatred._

**********

**Love is patient.**

Tony rubbed his eyes and stared at the object puzzled, it was way past his bedtime, and the toddler was very tired. He was sure if he was well rested he would be able to solve it, but his father had had him helping in the lab all day, and Tony hadn't eaten except for an apple Howard had shoved into his small hands after the child had voiced his hunger.

"Well?" Howard asked impatiently. Gesturing to the contraption he had set in front of Tony. "Can you solve it?" His mustache twichted and his eyes darted around the cellar/lab. The man being left alone with Tony was a rare occurrence, but Edwin had to go to his sister's, who had fallen ill, Peggy was out on a stealth (no calls) mission and Maria was in Italy visiting old relatives. Ana had gone with her husband, of course.

Howard didn't really know how to function around Tony. He was something he had created yes, but the boy wasn't something he understood. Usually, if he couldn't understand something, Howard would take the thing apart piece by piece and put it back together again. However, he couldn't very well do this with his son. He was nervous around him, not sure if anything he was doing was right or wrong. He hadn't had the greatest parents to learn from. But he tried his best, and that was good. At least that's what Howard told himself.

"I'm too tired. If I go to sleep, in the morning I can solve it, easy peasy, lemon squeezy." Tony smiled as he spoke the phrase he had heard Jarvis saying many times before, god the boy learnt more from his butler than his father, that alone was enough to make Howard weary. With perfect timing, he yawned at his father. Clamping a hand over his mouth at the sound, trying to stiffle it, Tony looked at him with wide eyes, he certainly hadn't meant to do that.

"What do you mean tired?! It's not even lunch yet Tony!" Howard snapped and glanced at his watch. 9:15, see he was- his face turned paler than the snow he so frequently visited on his search for Captain America. This often happened when he was extremely enthusiastic about something, he had done it on many occasions, missing meetings and birthdays. However he'd never done it with someone in the room with him, and it came as a shock that Tony hadn't mentioned the passage of time before now. They'd been working on a new device to find Steve for much longer than he thought. 9 hours longer than he thought. Fuck, Maria was going to kill him- damn Maria, Peggy would torture him until he begged for death. He was in big trouble anyway.

"It's a bit past lunch time dad." Tony said softly, looking down at the table. God, the boy's bedtime was at eight, and he had barely eaten anything, the man really was done for.

"Okay then, forget the puzzle, we'll have a late night snack and then go to bed okay?" Tony's stomach grumbled in agreement and the boys laughed as they walked upstairs to the kitchen. Even now, being aware of the lateness, the night sky in the windows startled Howard as he turned on the lights in the hallway and kitchen.

"I love you dad." The boy sighed happily, leaning into his fathers leg, hiding his face in the brown trousers he was met with. Howard hesitated before opening his mouth, then closing it again. He knew what he wanted to say, but he didn't know how to tell his son.

"I - I lo- I want that puzzle done tommorow though okay? No excuses." Howard said instead, the mans emotional diarrhoea getting in the way of what he really wanted to say.

"Okay." The boy said, moving away slightly from his father, and disappointment bleeding through his usual bright, young voice to make it sound older, and more like Howard. Peggy was right, Tony was becoming more of his father everyday, and for once Howard understood she didn't entirely mean that as a compliment.

"Okay." _I love you too son._ But the words only hung in the air, like clothes out to dry.


	2. Love is Kind

**Love is kind.**

Tony raised his hand so the sunshine filtered through his fingers, the rays warming and bright. He breathed out and smiled, at peace. He could stay there forever, laying on that threadbare picnic blanket, underneath that willow tree, in that garden.

"Bambino?" His mothers voice called out and his smile widened. She'd been in California at a press conference and Jarvis had been looking after him. Not that Tony didn't love Jarvis, because he did, but it was always a treat when Maria came home.

"Mama!" He called out, sitting up and spotting her by the roses. She looked beautiful, her light brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun and her skin was sun-kissed and olive. She glowed like an exploding star and her smile at seeing her boy finished the already perfect picture.

She walked- no, glided, towards Tony and sat next to him. Tony lay his head in her lap and breathed her in- honeysuckle, earthy and a hint of the rose perfume she always wore.

"There you are, have you been having fun, and have you been good for Edwin and Ana?" Maria asked, whilst she intertwined her fingers into his curly, brown hair. The action was soothing and pleasant and warm.

"I have Mama, but I was talking to Jan the other day, when she came around, and she said her dad always looks after her when her mum leaves. Why can't dad look after me?" He looked up at her with big curious eyes. That was Tony, always curious, always asking questions. It was endearing, most of the time anyway. He was also observant, so he noticed when her jaw clenched and her fingers tightened in his hair a bit, tugging so not as to hurt him but hard enough to notice.

"Howard... Howard isn't as well equipped to take care of you as Edwin is and... If Howard is needed elsewhere, I don't think I can trust him to not leave you on your own." Maria seemed satisfied with her answer, Tony wanted to ask more, but he could sense the finality of the conversation so he did not speak up again. Just stayed in the comfort of his mother's embrace.

"Why are you back early?" He opted to go for instead, the women still had 3 days due in California, at least, as far as the boy knew.

"Ah, yes, Anthony, I need you to know I- I do love you." Tony stopped enjoying the moment. She was the only one other than Jarvis who used his full name, and she only used it when he was in trouble, or if something was wrong.

"What- What's going on mama?" He asked, mood turned sour as he sat up, her fingers leaving his hair and landing in her lap as she sagged.

"Anthony, I, I only came to pick up Howard. Then we're leaving for a couple of months." She started saying something else, but Tony couldn't hear. All he could keep hearing was months. Months away from him. Sure, his mama or his dad would leave him alone for a while. But there was always at least one of them there, and it was never for _months_.

"You don't love me do you?" Tony found himself saying, looking down and picking up a leaf he quickly tore into little shreds.

"No, no, Bambino I love you, I do. It's just Howard and I have importa-"

"NO!" Tony cut her off, holding back tears, and replacing his sadness with anger. "No," He said, calmer. "You don't love me, you hate me, you don't want me so you're going to leave me with Nanny and Jarvis."

"Ana and Edwin are just looking after you until me and Howard can-"

"YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!" The eight year old screamed and stomped his foot.

"AND YOU'RE ACTING LIKE A BABY!" Maria screamed right back, for once losing her calm demeanour and clenching her fists so that her nails pierced her skin. "SO STAY HERE AND CRY LIKE THE BABY YOU ARE, ME AND HOWARD ARE LEAVING FOR THIS BUISNESS TRIP AND YOU WILL STAY BEHIND, SAFE!" Tony's vision blurred with tears.

"Okay Maria." Tony said coldly, turning around and sitting down on the blanket. Suddenly the shade from the willow tree was too cold, he shivered, but continued to sit with his back to his mother. He waited until he heard her footsteps padding away, because what the hell was he thinking 'glided'? If anything she stooped and her feet dragged along the floor like a god awful zombie from his comics. Tony wiped away the tears from his eyes with his hand, stood up and picked up the blanket. There would be a chance for sunbathing another day, but the idea of going to go help Nanny with dinner seemed more appealing now.


End file.
